REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO INSURANCE AGENT/BROKER SERVICES FOR GROUP HEALTH AND OTHER EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Wednesday, December 6, 2017

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3 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION PURPOSE BACKGROUND MINIMUM PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS OBTAINING THE RFQ CITY S RESPONSIBILITIES PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE PROPOSAL DUE DATE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS CONTACT PERSON AND INQUIRIES PROCUREMENT PROCESS NO CONTACT DURING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS CLARIFICATION AND ADDENDA TERM OF CONTRACT SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS SCHEDULE EVALUATION PROCESS PRESENTATIONS / DEMONSTRATIONS / INTERVIEWS (WHEN APPLICABLE) METHOD OF AWARD NEGOTIATION AND AWARD DISQUALIFICATION OF PROPOSER RESERVED RIGHTS INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS HOLD HARMLESS REQUIREMENT ACCURACY OF RFQ AND RELATED DOCUMENTS RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDER CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION CITY RIGHTS AND OPTIONS.13 Page 1 of 36

4 2.18 COST OF PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SELECTION PROCESS ADDITONAL OR SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES GEORGIA SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION COMPLIANCE ACT AUTHORIZATION TO TRANSACT BUSINESS RIGHT TO PROTEST ETHICS REQUIREMENTS NON-COLLUSION LOCAL PREFERENCE PAYMENT PRICING BID BOND, PAYMENT BOND, AND PERFORMANCE BOND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS VALIDITY OF RESPONSES OPENING OF RFQ RESPONSES FINANCIAL INFORMATION LITIGATION HISTORY EVALUATION CRITERIA RFQ SUBMITTAL FORMAT EXAMINATION OF RFQ DOCUMENTATION.. 26 ATTACHMENT A E-VERIFY AFFIDAVITS / S.A.V.E. AFFIDAVITS.27 EXHIBIT I DETAILED SCOPE OF SERVICES I. Minimum Requirements II. Personnel...28 III. Scope of Services.. 29 ATTACHMENT B PROVIDER CONTACT SHEET ATTACHMENT C REFERENCE VERIFICATION FORM. 36 Page 2 of 36

5 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PURPOSE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENT/BROKER SERVICES December 6, 2017 The City of East Point, Georgia (hereafter referred to as the City ), is seeking a qualified, experienced firm to provide insurance brokerage services to the City for Group Employee Benefits services. The City is seeking a candidate with experience marketing, negotiating and placing insurance on all medical and ancillary lines for large employers and experience servicing employee benefits needs for municipal governments. Services shall include, but not be limited to: the review, analysis, recommendation, and placement of insurance for the City s Group Employee Benefits Program, Benefits Strategic Plans, Consulting/Cost Advocacy, Open Enrollment, Billing Reconciliation, and Retiree Management. Interested firms or individuals must be qualified pursuant to Georgia Law. The selected firm or individual must be currently licensed to practice in the State of Georgia by the Department of Insurance, as required by law. Proposals submitted in response to this RFQ that comply with the submittal requirements set forth in Section 2.35 and Section 2.36, including providing all forms and certifications, will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria and procedures described therein. See Exhibit I Detailed Scope of Services 1.2 BACKGROUND The City serves an area of 14.7 square miles with a population of approximately 35,471. The City s fiscal year begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th. The City provides various municipal services to its residents including Police, Planning and Zoning, Building and Code services, Public Works, Storm Water Utility, Parks and Recreation, Code Enforcement, School Crossing Guards, Fire and Rescue services, and Sanitation services. The City of East Point employs approximately 464 full-time, 18 part-time employees and 215 retirees and is in the business of providing government services to the residents of the City of East Point. The City provides life and health insurance benefits to employees and subsidizes a portion of the cost. Currently the City s plan benefit year is January 1 December 31. The benefits listed below are some of the benefits available to employees and dependents, and may be included, but not limited to, the resulting contract: Medical - Current provider is Kaiser Dental Current provider is Aetna Vision Current provider is Blue Cross Blue Shield Life Current provider is Dearborn National STD/LTD Current provider is Sun Life COBRA Current provider is MSI Benefit Groups Page 3 of 36

6 1.3 MINIMUM PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS PERSONNEL: The City of East Point is seeking a qualified and experienced AGENT OF RECORD/INSURANCE BROKER firm meeting the following requirements: The Respondent must have a staffed office in the State of Georgia. The Respondent must assign a qualified staff member of the firm to serve as the primary contact with the City and a secondary contact to serve in the event that the primary contact is not available. The Respondent must have been providing employee benefits brokerage services for a minimum of five (5) years in Georgia. The Respondent must have acted as a full-service Agent/Broker for a Georgia local government for at least two (2) consecutive years within the past five (5) years and have expertise and training in the fields of group health, dental, vision, and ancillary insurance programs. Professional designations/certifications in the benefit field (i.e. GBA, CEBS, GBDS) are also strongly encouraged. The Respondent must be fully HIPPA compliant and their employees must be trained in the requirements of the HIPPA laws. The Respondent must be willing and able to continue business with all of the City s existing providers. This does not mean the City intends to maintain all of its current carriers, but would if necessary and/or considered advantageous to the City. Additionally, a Respondent that has access to or is a member of a health insurance pool may be considered advantageous to the City. The work shall be performed and directed by the key personnel identified in the submittal from the awarded firm or individual in response to this RFQ. The awarded firm or individual shall not subcontract, assign or transfer any work under the agreement without the prior written consent of the City. Sub consultants must be identified in the submittal and shall be subject to the approval of the City. Any changes in the identified personnel shall be subject to the prior review and approval of the City. When directed by the City, sub consultant personnel whose performance or behavior is determined to be unsatisfactory shall be immediately removed. The awarded firm or individual shall provide a sufficient number of qualified personnel as necessary to effectively carry out its responsibilities under the agreement. Only competent personnel who are qualified by experience and education shall be utilized. 1.4 OBTAINING THE RFQ This document and supporting documents can be downloaded at the City of East Point Website, of East Point under Open Solicitations". Page 4 of 36

7 1.5 CITY S RESPONSIBILITIES Upon execution of the Contract and receipt from the Selected Provider of all required and / or necessary bonds, permits, licenses, certifications, etc., the City shall issue to the Selected Provider a Notice to Proceed letter The City will provide the Selected Provider with access to Work Site during the performance of the services Final inspection and approval of the Services rendered and approval of the Selected Provider s invoices for payment. 1.6 PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE The City will hold a Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference, on Tuesday, December 19, 2017, at 10:00 A.M. in Jefferson Station located at,. Attendance at the Pre-Proposal Conference is voluntary for responding to this RFQ, however Proposers are encouraged to attend. The purpose of the Pre-Proposal Conference is to provide information regarding the project and to address any questions and concerns, via addendum, regarding the services sought by the City through this RFQ. The City of East Point does not discriminate based on disability in the admission or access to its programs or activities. Any requests for reasonable accommodations required by individuals to fully participate in any open meeting, program or activity of the City of East Point should be directed in writing to Tron D. Jones, Contract Specialist, at tdjones@eastpointcity.org. 1.7 QUALIFICATIONS DUE DATE All RFQ submittals are due in the City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department located at 1526 East Forrest Avenue, Suite 400,, on or before Friday, January 5, 2018 at 3:00 P.M., legal prevailing time. All RFQ submittals shall be time and date stamped according to the clock in the City s reception area. Any RFQ submittals received after this appointed schedule will be considered late and will be returned unopened to the Proposer at the proposer s expense. The RFQ Due Date can be changed only by addendum. 1.8 DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS It shall be the sole responsibility of the Provider / Proposer to have their RFQ submittal delivered to the City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department for receipt on or before the above stipulated due date and time. If an RFQ submittal is sent by U.S. Mail, the Provider shall be responsible for its timely delivery to the Contracts and Procurement Department. Page 5 of 36

8 1.9 CONTACT PERSON AND INQUIRIES For information regarding this Request For Qualifications, contact the City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department Deadline for submittal of all inquiries is Friday, December 22, 2017, at twelve o clock (12:00) noon. Any response made by the City shall be provided in writing to all Provider/Proposers by addendum. No verbal responses shall be authoritative. 2.0 PROCUREMENT PROCESS The procurement will be on a formally advertised basis. All technical requirements, unless otherwise specified, must be met, or be capable of being met by the Proposer or their proposal will be disqualified as being nonresponsive. 2.1 NO CONTACT DURING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS The City of East Point requires that the evaluation and award process for City contracts be free from both actual and perceived impropriety, and that contact between potential vendors and City officials, elected officials, and staff regarding pending awards of City contracts shall be prohibited No person, firm, or business entity, however situated or composed, obtaining a copy of or responding to this solicitation, shall initiate or continue any verbal or written communication regarding this solicitation with any City officer, elected official, employee, or designated City representative, between the date of the issuance of this solicitation and the date of the award by the City Council except as may otherwise be specifically authorized and permitted by the terms and conditions of this solicitation All verbal and written communications initiated by such person, firm, or entity regarding this solicitation, if same are authorized and permitted by the terms and conditions of this solicitation, shall be directed only to the Purchasing Agent Any violation of this prohibition of the initiation or continuation of verbal or written communications with City officers, elected officials, employees, or designated City representatives shall result in a written finding by the Purchasing Director that the submitted bid or proposal of the person, firm, or entity is in violation of this condition and is "non-responsive", and will not be considered for award From the date of issue to the Public until after the Notice of Award has been officially issued by the City Council, Prospective Providers shall make all contact with the City through the assigned Contract Specialist, in the Contracts and Procurement Department,, East Point, Georgia 30344, tdjones@eastpointcity.org. 2.2 CLARIFICATION AND ADDENDA Providers may submit requests for clarifications or interpretations regarding this RFQ and the Contract. Providers must prepare such requests in writing for the City's consideration as set forth in this section of the RFQ. While the City has not placed an initial limitation on the number of requests which can be submitted, Providers are cautioned Page 6 of 36

9 that if Providers do not request meaningful clarifications or interpretations in an organized manner (e.g., limited frequency of requests), the City will set restrictions on the frequency and number of requests permitted. The City will not respond to requests, oral or written, received after twelve o clock (12:00 P.M.) noon on Friday, December 22, 2017 local prevailing time. Providers are advised that this section places no obligation on the part of the City to respond to any or all requests for clarification or interpretation, and that the City's failure to respond to any such request will not relieve the Provider of any obligations or conditions required by this RFQ. If the requests are submitted to the City via U. S. Postal Service or delivered via courier or delivery service (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.), the outside of the delivery envelope must clearly state Inquiry Enclosed to differentiate such parcels from those containing final bid submittals. Requests for clarification or interpretation regarding this RFQ shall only be submitted in writing (letter, fax or ) to: City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department Attention Tron D. Jones, Contract Specialist tdjones@eastpointcity.org. Fax: (404) RE: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO Insurance Agent/Broker Services Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. All responses to written requests for clarification, interpretation, or additional information will be distributed as numbered addenda to this RFQ and posted on the City of East Point website The deadline for inquiries is twelve o clock (12:00 P.M.) noon on Friday, December 22, No oral interpretation, instruction, or information concerning this RFQ given by any employee or agent of the City shall be binding on the City. Providers who submit an RFQ submittal in reliance on any such oral information risk having their response to this RFQ deemed non-responsive by the City. Only written responses issued by numbered addendum to this RFQ should be considered by the Providers. During the period provided for the preparation of RFQ submittals, the City may issue addenda to this RFQ. These addenda will be numbered consecutively and will be posted on the City s website which is located at These addenda will be issued by, or on behalf of, the City and will constitute a part of this RFQ. Each Provider is required to acknowledge receipt of each addendum by submitting an executed acknowledgment form. This acknowledgment shall include all addenda distributed prior to the RFQ Due Date. All responses to this RFQ shall be prepared with full consideration of the addenda issued prior to the RFQ Due Date. 2.3 TERM OF CONTRACT The initial term of the contract shall be for a two (2) years calendar period from the date of the executed contract, period of two (2) years, with an option to renew for, upon agreement, for two (2) additional one-year periods, unless cancelled by either party at any time and without cause, upon a thirty (30) day written notice. The City is obligated Page 7 of 36

10 only to pay such compensation under this Agreement as may lawfully be made from funds budgeted and appropriated for that purpose during the City's then current fiscal year. The City s determination to extend an offer to exercise an optional Contract term shall be based upon the availability of funding, and the City s satisfaction with the product / service, and will be at the sole discretion of the City. The Contract associated with this RFQ shall commence upon the date of the formal execution of the Contract and shall remain in effect throughout its term without an amendment in the pricing or terms or conditions. Unless mutually agreed upon in writing by all parties, or otherwise indicated herein, all provisions and conditions of any Renewal Term shall be the same as those contained within in this Agreement. 2.4 SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS All RFQ submittals, including all attachments, must be received by the City in an opaque sealed package no later than 3:00 P.M. on Friday, January 5, 2018, and must be addressed to: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department The RFQ submittal package shall consist of a Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, and all required documents. The Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, E-Verify Affidavits and S.A.V.E Affidavit shall include provider information, technical information, business related information, and any Technical Proposal forms requested. The City is not responsible for the untimely receipt or loss of solicitation responses regardless of circumstances. Prospective Providers wishing to participate in this solicitation must follow the instructions detailed herein. Incomplete solicitation responses shall not be given award consideration and may be considered non-conforming and non-responsive to the requirements in the solicitation. Vendors who obtain specifications and plans from sources other than the City of East Point are cautioned that the RFQ package they receive may be incomplete. All public addendums, tabulations, evaluation meeting notices and recommendations of award will be posted on the City s website at The Request For Qualifications (RFQ) requirements, including E-Verify Affidavits and the S.A.V.E. Affidavit, shall consist of one (1) signed, unbound original that is marked ORIGINAL and six (6) permanently bound photocopies that are identical to the original and marked COPY which includes tabs labeled Tab 1 through Tab 13 and one (1) CD or flash drive containing a pdf format of the RFQ submittal. Minimum font size of eleven (11) shall be used. The total RFQ response shall contain no more than forty (40) pages. All pages shall be single sided. Failure to submit the RFQ response in the manner specified herein or failure to enclosed identical permanently bound copies of the original materials in each response copy submitted may result in the disqualification of the entire submittal. Page 8 of 36

11 Each envelope or package on the outside shall be clearly marked as follows: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO Professional Insurance Agent/Broker Services RFQ Due Date: Friday, January 5, 2018 at 3:00 P.M. If the solicitation response is submitted to the City via the U. S. Postal Service or delivered via courier or delivery service (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.), the sealed envelope / package must also be clearly notated RFQ Response Enclosed on the outside to differentiate these parcels from those containing questions or inquiries. This is a sealed RFQ solicitation. Oral, telephoned, telegraphed, faxed, ed, or otherwise unsealed responses shall be considered invalid and shall not be given award consideration. Simple quotations for the work to be performed in this solicitation shall not be accepted. The City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department must receive submittals no later than 3:00 P.M. on Friday, January 5, RFQ responses received after this time will not be considered and no time extensions will be permitted. Submittals will only be opened following the final RFQ Due Date. 2.5 REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS SCHEDULE Below is the current schedule of the events that will take place in the procurement process. The City reserves the right to make changes or alterations to the schedule as the City determines is in its best interest. Providers will be notified sufficiently in advance of any changes or alterations in the schedule. Unless otherwise notified in writing by the City, the dates indicated below for submission of items or for other actions on the part of a Provider shall constitute absolute deadlines for those activities and failure to fully comply by the time stated shall cause a Provider to be disqualified. The City reserves the right to modify the dates and times. Time / Date Wednesday, December 6, 2017 Tuesday, December 19, 2017 No later than 12:00 noon on Friday, December 22, 2017 No later than 3:00 P.M. on Friday, January 5, 2018 Event Request for Qualifications Issued to Public Non-mandatory Pre-RFQ Conference Deadline to Submit Inquiries RFQ Due Date Page 9 of 36

12 2.6 EVALUATION PROCESS The Selection Committee (SC) will be responsible for ranking and recommending the most qualified individuals / firms(s) to the City Council for award. The process for awarding this Contract may proceed in the following manner: The City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department delivers the RFQ submittals to agency staff for summarization for the Selection Committee members. The appropriate department will review the litigation history and the Finance Division will review the financial portion of the submittals. Staff will also identify any incomplete responses. The Director of Procurement will review the information and will make a recommendation to the Selection Committee as to each firm s responsiveness to the requirements of the RFQ. The final determination of responsiveness rests solely on the decision of the Selection Committee. All proposals will be evaluated using the criteria specified in Section 2.35 and Section 2.36 of this RFQ. Selection will include an analysis of submittals by a Selection Committee (SC) composed of City personnel who will review the RFQ submittals in accordance with the submittal requirements and the evaluation criteria set forth in Section 2.35 and Section 2.36 of this RFQ. The Committee may request oral interviews and / or site visits. Specific factors, as detailed in the RFQ, will be considered in determining which Provider will be deemed to best meet the needs of the City of East Point. 2.7 PRESENTATIONS / DEMONSTRATIONS / INTERVIEWS (WHEN APPLICABLE) Providers may be requested to provide oral presentations to the Selection Committee (SC) or City Council. Recommended Providers may be required to attend City Council meetings. All firms that are found to be both responsive and responsible to the requirements of the RFQ may have an opportunity to make an oral presentation to the SC or City Council on the firm s approach to this Project and the firm s ability to perform as required. The SC may provide a list of subject matter for the discussion. The individuals / firms will have equal time to present but the question-and-answer time may vary. Proposers / Providers may be requested to demonstrate the nature of their offered solution to the SC. After receipt of submittals, all firms will receive a description of, and arrangements for, the desired demonstration. A copy of the demonstration (hard copy, DVD, CD or a combination of both) should be given to the Purchasing Agent at the meeting to retain in the Purchasing files. 2.8 METHOD OF AWARD Award of this Contract shall be made to the responsive, responsible Provider whose response will be the most advantageous to the City of East Point, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the Selection Criteria. At any time prior to award, the City may find that a Provider is not responsible to receive a particular award. The City reserves the right to award to that Provider who will best serve the interests of the City, for the product(s) / service(s) that will best serve the needs of the City of East Point. The City also reserves the right to waive minor variations in the specifications and in the solicitation process. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and / or all RFQ submittals and to award a Contract based on the RFQ. Page 10 of 36

13 2.9 NEGOTIATION AND AWARD It is the City s intent to conduct the first negotiation meeting no later than thirty (30) days after City Council approval of the final ranking by the Committee. At least one (1) of the representatives for the firm participating in negotiations with the City must be authorized to bind the firm. In the event that the negotiations are not successful within a reasonable timeframe (notification will be provided to the firm) an impasse will be declared and negotiations with the first-ranked firm will cease. Negotiations will begin with the next ranked firm. This process shall continue until the City successfully negotiates a Contract DISQUALIFICATION OF PROPOSER The submission of more than one (1) RFQ submittal to the City as the primary Provider or as a member of a Joint Venture for the same work by an individual firm, partnership, or corporation under the same or different names may be grounds for disqualification of a Provider and the rejection of the RFQ submittals in which they participated RESERVED RIGHTS The City shall be the sole judge of the proposals and the resulting agreements that are in its best interest and its decision shall be final. Also, the City reserves the right to make such investigation as it deems necessary to determine the ability of any Proposer to perform the work or service requested. Information the City deems necessary to make this determination shall be provided by the Proposer. Such information may include, but shall not be limited to, current financial statements by an independent CPA; verification of availability of personnel; and past records of performance INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS The Selected Provider shall maintain General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Professional Liability insurance, issued by not less than an A insurance carrier, as determined by the rating firm A.M. Best, and who is licensed to issue such coverage in the State of Georgia, in the amount of not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) combined single limit and Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000) combined single limit aggregate, insuring the Selected Provider and its employees, representatives, and agents against liability for negligent, willful, or otherwise tortuous acts of omissions by the Selective Provider, its agents, representatives, or employees in connection with the Selected Provider s provision of work and / or service(s), and obligations contemplated by this solicitation. That policy of insurance shall list the City of East Point, Georgia, and its employees, appointed officials, contractors, or other designees, as additional insured, (with the exception of Workers Compensation and Professional Liability insurance which shall be exempt from this requirement). The Provider shall maintain a Blanket Fidelity Bond in an amount not less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) with an approved corporate surety carrier covering any and all principals, officers and employees involved in the performance of the agreement. Provider will maintain said bond or insurance for a period of two (2) years after the expiration of the contract. The Provider shall maintain in force an Errors and Omissions insurance in an amount not less than One Million Page 11 of 36

14 Dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence in the aggregate. Provider will maintain said bond or insurance for a period of two (2) years after the expiration of the contract. The Provider will maintain in force a Cyber Security/Liability policy which provides coverage including but not limited to Privacy Notification and Crises, E-threat Expenses coverage, E-vandalism Expenses which names City of East Point as an additional insured and provides a limit of no less than Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000). The Selected Provider shall provide to East Point s Contracts and Procurement Office a Certificate of Insurance reflecting such coverage prior to the commencement of work and / or services contemplated in this solicitation The above referenced policy shall include a provision that the policy shall not be cancelled nor modified without providing, at a minimum, a thirty (30) day notice to the City of East Point, Georgia All Certificates of Insurance must have affixed a completed ISO 2004 CG Additional Insured Endorsement (revised short form) which references the Contract Number assigned by the City, and a brief description of the work or services to be performed All Insurance Certificates issued regarding this solicitation must clearly reference the City s solicitation number and the official title of the awarded Contract HOLD HARMLESS REQUIREMENT Neither the City, its staff, its representatives, nor any of its consultants and / or attorneys shall be liable for any claims and / or damages resulting from the invitation, advertisement, collection, review, evaluation, and / or tabulation of responses to this solicitation. The Selected Provider shall indemnify and hold harmless the City of East Point, Georgia, and any and all elected officials, employees, contractors, representatives, or agents of the City of East Point, Georgia, from any loss, claim, liability, penalty, fine forfeiture, demand, causes of action, suit, and costs and expenses incidental thereto (including cost of defense, settlement and reasonable attorney s fees) [hereinafter referred to as Indemnified Costs ] resulting from a breach by the Selected Provider of any of the agreements, representations, trademarks, or warranties of the Selected Provider contained in this solicitation or their response thereto, or caused by, or resulting from any negligent, willful or otherwise tortuous act or omission, or violation of the law by the Selected Provider, its agents, representatives, or employees in connection with the Selected Provider s provision of work and / or services and obligations contemplated by this solicitation, response thereto, or Contract resulting there from. The indemnity obligation of the Selected Provider under this section shall survive the expiration or termination of any resulting Contract, subject to any applicable statute(s) of limitation(s) ACCURACY OF RFQ AND RELATED DOCUMENTS The City assumes no responsibility that the specified technical and background information presented in this RFQ, or otherwise distributed or made available during this procurement process, is complete or accurate. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the City will not be bound by or be responsible for any explanation or Page 12 of 36

15 interpretation of the solicitation documents other than those provided or given in writing as an addendum to this RFQ. Should a recipient of this RFQ find discrepancies in or omissions from this RFQ and related documents, the recipient of this RFQ shall immediately notify the Purchasing Contact Person referenced in this RFQ in writing at the following address: City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department, Tron D. Jones, tdjones@eastpointcity.org, Contract Specialist, East Point, Georgia or Fax Number A written addendum, if necessary, will then be made available to each recipient of this RFQ RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDER Each Provider is encouraged to conduct all necessary investigations and to review all available and relevant data and information, which may be necessary in their judgment to assume this responsibility prior to the submittal of their RFQ submittal. Providers are reminded of the City of East Point s No Contact During Procurement" requirement and shall only contact the person designated by the RFQ CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION If any Proposal contains technical, financial, or other confidential information that the Proposer believes is exempt from disclosure, the Proposer must clearly label the specific portions sought to be kept confidential and specify on what the exemption is based. The City, at its sole discretion and subject to applicable law, will determine whether such exemption applies. The City has sole discretion to make such determination regarding the disclosure of information, and by responding to this RFQ, Proposers waive any challenge to the City's decisions in this regard. Marking all or substantially all a Proposal as confidential may result in the Proposer being deemed non-responsive to this RFQ. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Proposers recognize and agree that the City, its staff, and its Consultants will not be responsible or liable in any way for any losses incurred CITY RIGHTS AND OPTIONS This RFQ constitutes an invitation to submit a statement of qualifications to the City. Without limitation or penalty, the City reserves and holds at its sole discretion, the following rights and options: This RFQ does not obligate the City to select, procure, or contract for any services whatsoever. The City of East Point reserves the right to award a contract based on this RFQ and the responses received (in whole or in part) to one (1) or several providers. The City reserves the right to change or alter the schedule for any events associated with this procurement and, if required, notify the Providers. A Provider, by submitting a response to this RFQ, agrees to be bound by any modifications made by the City. All costs incurred by a Provider regarding responding to this RFQ, the evaluation, and the selection process undertaken regarding this procurement, and any negotiations with the City will be borne by the Provider. Page 13 of 36

16 The City reserves the right to reject all RFQ responses submitted and components thereof or to eliminate all Providers responding to this RFQ from further consideration for this Contract award, and to notify such Providers of the City's determination. The City may cancel this RFQ without the substitution of another solicitation and terminate this procurement at any time without any liability whatsoever. The City reserves the right to waive any technicalities or irregularities in the RFQ submittals received. The City reserves the right to eliminate any Provider who submits incomplete or inadequate responses or is not responsive to the requirements of this RFQ. The City may request Providers to send representatives to the City for interviews and presentations. To the extent deemed appropriate by the City, the City may select and enter into discussions and negotiations with the Provider(s) submitting RFQ responses, which are found to be reasonably susceptible for award. The City reserves the right to discontinue negotiations with any selected Provider. The City reserves the right, without prior notice, to supplement, amend, or otherwise modify this RFQ. All RFQ responses (other than portions thereof subject to patent or copyright protection) become the property of the City and will not be returned, and the City reserves the right to utilize all such information contained in the RFQ submittals without further cost to the City. The City may add to or delete from the Scope of Work / Scope of Services set forth in this RFQ. All RFQ responses not received by the RFQ Due Date shall be rejected and returned unopened. Neither the City, its staff, its representatives, nor any of its consultants or attorneys will be liable for any claims or damages resulting from the solicitation, collection, review, or evaluation of responses to this RFQ. The City, including its representatives and consultants, reserves the right to visit and examine any of the facilities referenced in any RFQ submittal and to observe and investigate the operations of such facilities. By responding to this RFQ, Providers acknowledge and consent to the rights and conditions set forth in this RFQ COST OF PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SELECTION PROCESS Each RFQ submittal, including preparation of all information required to be included in the submittal pursuant to this RFQ, shall be prepared at the sole cost and expense (including, but not limited to, engineering and legal costs) of the Provider. In addition, the Provider shall be solely responsible for all costs (including engineering and legal Page 14 of 36

17 costs) incurred by such Provider regarding this selection process, including any costs incurred by the Provider in any subsequent negotiations entered into in connection with developing the RFQ submittal. There shall be no claims whatsoever against the City, its staff, or its consultants for reimbursement for the costs or expenses (including, but not limited to, engineering and legal costs) incurred during the preparation of the RFQ submittal or other information required by this RFQ or the Contract award process or in connection with the selection process or any negotiations. All price proposals, if required to be submitted to the City, must be F.O.B. East Point, Georgia and must exclude printing, postage, mailing, shipping, or delivery costs, freight or transportation charges, and taxes of any type ADDITIONAL OR SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION After receipt of the RFQ submittals, the City will evaluate the responses, including the references, financial statements, experience and other data relating to the Provider s qualifications. If requested by the City of East Point Contracts and Procurement Department, the Provider maybe required to submit additional or supplemental information to determine whether the Provider meets all the qualification requirements REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES The successful Provider will report directly to the Director of Human Resources, or their designated representative GEORGIA SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION COMPLIANCE ACT This Solicitation / Request For Qualifications is subject to the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act. Effective July 1, 2013, bidders and proposers are notified that all bids / proposals for services that are to be physically performed within the State of Georgia must be accompanied by proof of their registration with and continuing and future participation in the E-Verify program established by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Completed, notarized E-Verify Affidavits for the Provider, their proposed Subcontractors (if any) and proposed Sub-subcontractors (if any) must be submitted with your RFQ response to participate in this solicitation. The Provider recommended by the Requesting Department for Contract award shall be required to submit a complete, notarized S.A.V.E. Affidavit prior to receiving official and formal Contract award from the City. All goods, and / or Services rendered by the Selected Provider(s) pursuant to this solicitation or any resultant contract(s) and / or agreement(s) shall be provided in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local guidelines, laws, and regulations. If requested to do so by the City, the Selected Provider(s) must provide references and assurances to the City that confirms their abilities and capabilities to meet the requirements, terms and conditions of any resultant contract award(s). See attachment A E-Verify Affidavits / S.A.V.E Affidavits. Page 15 of 36

18 2.22 AUTHORIZATION TO TRANSACT BUSINESS If the Proposer is a Georgia corporation, the corporation, prior to contract execution, shall submit documentary evidence from the Secretary of State that the Corporation is in good standing and that the corporation is authorized to transact business in the State of Georgia. If the Proposer is a foreign (non-georgia) corporation, the corporation, prior to contract execution shall submit a Certificate of Authority and documentary evidence from the Georgia Secretary of State of good standing which reflects that the corporation is authorized to do business in the State of Georgia RIGHT TO PROTEST Any actual or prospective provider, bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the prequalification, solicitation or award of a contract shall protest to the Purchasing Agent. Protestors are urged to seek resolution of their complaints initially with the Purchasing Agent. A protest with respect to an Invitation for Bids or Request For Qualifications shall be submitted to the Purchasing Agent in writing within five (5) calendar days after such aggrieved person knows or should have known of the facts giving rise thereto, but in no circumstance after five (5) calendar days of notification of award of contract. The City s Municipal Code shall govern all such matters. The City s Municipal Code may be accessed from the City s web site which is located at or directly at ETHICS REQUIREMENTS As provided in Chapter 4, Section Declaration of Policy (Ord. No , ), Prospective Providers shall not offer any gratuities, favors, gifts, honorariums or anything of any monetary value whatsoever to any official, employee, representative, and / or agent of the City of East Point for the purpose of influencing consideration and / or award of this solicitation and / or for the purpose of being viewed more favorably and / or more agreeably than others who may also be competing for award. Violation of this clause shall result in the immediate elimination of the Provider s response from award consideration and may also result in criminal actions and / or criminal penalties against the Provider, the Provider s representative(s) and the City employee(s), if found to be compliant or in complicity and / or collusion therewith. All Selected Providers, by entering into a service and / or contractual agreement with the City of East Point, agree to be bound by and comply with all applicable provisions of Part 2, Chapter 4, and Ethics Policy of the Code of Ordinances of the City of East Point, Georgia. Full text of this ordinance may be obtained from the City Clerk s Office by telephoning or online by visiting The City s Code of Ordinances may also be found on the City s web site at the bottom of each Department s page (in the black bar at the bottom of the page) under the heading MuniCode NON-COLLUSION By submitting a signed RFQ submittal, the Provider certifies that there has been no collusion with any other Provider. Reasonable grounds for believing the Provider has an interest in more than one RFQ submittal will result Page 16 of 36

19 in rejection of all RFQ submittals in which the Provider has an interest. Any party to collusion may not be considered in future solicitations for the same or similar work. When, for any reason, collusion or other anticompetitive practices are suspected among any providers, or bidders, or offerors, a notice of the relevant facts shall be transmitted to the City Attorney for investigation LOCAL PREFERENCE In accordance with the City of East Point Local Preference Section (Ord. No , ) Local vendor purchasing preference pertains to this solicitation. The City has a significant interest in encouraging the creation of employment opportunities for its residents and for businesses located within the City. As a purchaser of goods and services, the City will benefit from expanded job and business opportunities for its residents and businesses through additional revenues generated by its activities. It is in the interest of the City and its residents to give preference on eligible local projects to those eligible Prospective Providers who have direct physical and economic relationships with the City. A "local vendor" or "local business" means any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, franchise, or other business form which: Has its headquarters, distribution point, retail location, locally-owned franchise, or place of business within the territorial limits of the city, where work and business is and has been regularly conducted for at least six (6) months immediately prior to the issuance of the request for competitive proposals by the city; and Holds all business or professional licenses required by state law, county ordinance, and city ordinance at the location within the city for at least six (6) months immediately prior to the issuance of the request for competitive proposals by the City. Any local vendor who has been determined by the Director of Contracts and Procurement to be otherwise responsive and responsible, which also provides proof of its local status under oath will receive five percent (5%) or five (5) point preference established in the Evaluation Criteria score PAYMENT Invoices for payment will be submitted as services are completed, but no more than once a month, for the duration of the Contract. Invoices will be subject to verifications and approval by the Requesting Department. Payment will be based on receipt of individually completed check lists and upon inspection by the City s Authorized Representative of the work / services performed PRICING Price will not be considered in the final evaluation and rating of the firms. After the highest ranking, overall best qualified Providers have been determined by the Selection Committee, the City will enter into negotiations with those individuals or firms to obtain pricing that is both advantageous to the City and beneficial to the Provider. Page 17 of 36

20 2.29 BID BOND, PAYMENT BOND, AND PERFORMANCE BOND - (N/A) 2.30 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS The Selected Provider shall not assign, transfer, convey, sublet, or otherwise dispose of any contract resulting from the RFQ or of any of its rights, titles or interests therein without prior written consent of the City of East Point Council In case of default by the Selected Provider, the City of East Point may procure the articles or services from another source and hold the Selected Provider responsible for any resultant excess cost The Selected Provider shall have the sole responsibility for any services provided, and the services provided by any third-parties (subcontractors) utilized by them to deliver any of the services requested by the City during the term of the Contract VALIDITY OF RESPONSES All RFQ responses submitted must be valid for a minimum of one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the posted or amended RFQ Due Date. All responses shall be irrevocable for this period of time, until the City officially awards this solicitation, enters into a Contract for the goods / work / services, issues a Purchase Order for the goods / work / services, officially rejects your company s response or rejects all responses, or officially cancels this solicitation, whichever shall first occur OPENING OF RFQ RESPONSES RFQ submittals shall be publicly opened, and only the names of the Providers shall be disclosed at the opening. Contents of competing Provider s responses shall not be disclosed during the process of evaluation and negotiation. Submittals shall be open for public inspection only after Contract award. Proprietary or confidential information marked as such in each response shall not be disclosed without written consent of the Provider. All such requests shall be handled pursuant to the terms and conditions of applicable Federal and State Freedom of Information Acts and the City s Municipal Code. The City s Municipal Code may be accessed from the City s web site which is located at or directly at FINANCIAL INFORMATION All individuals / firms are required to provide copies of their financial statements to demonstrate their financial capabilities. The financial statements are not required to be audited financial statements. Failure to provide this information at the time of RFQ submittal may result in a recommendation by the Procurement Director that the response is nonresponsive. Each individual / firm shall be required to submit their most recent three (3) years of financial statements for review by the City. Please provide a summary of the individual s / firm s financial resources (including the latest years financial statements, holding company, and bonding information). With respect to the number of years of financial statements required by this RFQ, the individual / firm must fully disclose the information for all years required provided, however, if the individual / firm has been in business for Page 18 of 36

21 less than the required number of years, then the individual / firm must disclose for all years of the required period that the individual / firm has been in business, including any partial year-to date financial statements. The City may consider, in its evaluation, the unavailability of the most recent year s financial statements and whether the individual / firm acted in good faith in disclosing the required financial documents LITIGATION HISTORY The City will consider a Provider s litigation history in its review and determination of responsibility. All Providers are required to disclose to the City all "material" cases filed, pending, or resolved during the last three (3) years prior to the solicitation s response due date, whether such cases were brought by or against the Provider, any parent or subsidiary of the Provider, or any predecessor organization. If the Provider is a Joint Venture, the information provided should encompass the Joint Venture (if it is not newly-formed for purposes of responding to the solicitation) and each of the entities forming the Joint Venture. Although the review of a Provider's litigation history is an issue of responsibility, the failure to provide the litigation history as required in the Evaluation Criteria may result in a determination of non-responsiveness by the Procurement Director. LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY Page 19 of 36

22 2.35 EVALUATION CRITERIA The following is a list of Evaluation Criteria totaling one hundred (100) points. Subsequent pages will further detail and define the Evaluation Criteria which are summarized with their numerical point ranges. Evaluation Criteria Project Specific Criteria Points Prior experience of the firm: (0-45 Points) a. Experience in years of successful municipal insurance brokerage services. Experience in similarly sized municipal Employee Benefits clients b. Five examples/samples of projects/products that were designed/implemented for clients that saved money, improved quality of benefits, enhanced benefits, increased efficiency and innovated programs. Capability to Respond to the City's Needs: (0-40 Points) a. Firm s experience advising and implementing self-fully funded plans for Clients b. Firm s experience in developing benefits strategic plans c. Firm s experience in retiree management and outreach d. Expertise in municipal employer group open enrollment and eligibility processing References (0-10 points) Quality of References Proposer is required to submit completed Reference Verification Forms for previous projects referenced in its submittal. Proposer should use the appropriate reference form to distribute to its reference organization/firm to complete and return to the proposer s attention. Proposer should submit the completed Reference Verification Form with its response by the solicitation s deadline. The City will verify references provided as part of the review process. Provide a minimum of three (3) references that are comparable in scope, size, and clients within the last five (5) years. Governmental/Public entities are preferred. The Reference Verification Form is attached Local Preference (5 points) Location/ Local Preference Reference the ordinance a. City s Municipal Code Section Local vendor purchasing preference b. Include and completed a signed and notarized Local Vendor Preference Eligibility Affidavit (if applicable) 5 Total Points 100 Page 20 of 36